


Lovefool

by Clio_Codex



Series: Wandering Stars [6]
Category: Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Knights of the Old Republic (Video Games)
Genre: Dancing, Drinking, F/M, Female Friendship, Fluff, Mandalorian romance, Revan is sleeping, Romance, The Force Ships It (Star Wars), night out on Tatooine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:41:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26704666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clio_Codex/pseuds/Clio_Codex
Summary: The Ebon Hawk crew has been hard at work on Tatooine.  Aoibhinn and Bastila head to the cantina for a little heart to heart, Carth and Canderous show up....drinking, dancing, fluff, and slightly suggestive moments ensue!“Drink.”  She pushed the glass towards Bastila, who scrunched her face in a frown.   “You aren’t going to go to Jedi hell for a single drink, Bastila.  Live a little.”   Bastila made a noise of protest, but took the glass, giving a careful sniff.   Aoibhinn shook her head, downing her own glass.  “Listen, it’s just a damn drink.  Have it.  Don’t have it.  The point is that you shouldn’t not do it because you think it is against someone else’s rules.  Live your own life.  And know when to let go of the shit that doesn’t matter.”Part of my Wandering Stars series but works as a stand-alone.
Relationships: Canderous Ordo/OC, Carth Onasi/Bastila Shan
Series: Wandering Stars [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1952851
Comments: 9
Kudos: 11
Collections: High Council Bounty 1/21





	Lovefool

**Author's Note:**

> I've been dabbling about with a longer KotOR fic and here's a piece. Aoibhinn is an OC, a Force sensitive Mandalorian (because this is my head canon and why not?).
> 
> Dialogue in italics is in Mando'a - use your imagination!

“Drink.”She pushed the glass towards Bastila, who scrunched her face in a frown. “You aren’t going to go to Jedi hell for a single drink, Bastila.Live a little.” Bastila made a noise of protest, but took the glass, giving a careful sniff. Aoibhinn shook her head, downing her own glass.“Listen, it’s just a damn drink.Have it.Don’t have it.The point is that you shouldn’t _not_ do it because you think it is against someone else’s rules.Live your own life.And know when to let go of the shit that doesn’t matter.” 

She realized she felt sorry for the woman, a surprise to be sure given how annoyed she’d been by her for weeks, maybe months at the start of this whole thing.But really she had been screwed left and right by the council she held in such high regard.If Aoibhinn was right about Tal Aren, and she had only grown more certain in her suspicions, the poor woman had been set with an impossible task, babysitting an amnesiac Sith (?) lord while they tracked down a dark energy weapons factory.And that aside, while she’d been revered for her Battle Meditation, she’d hardly been treated like the grown woman she was, never given agency to make her own choices.

The drink didn’t really matter, but Aoibhinn wasn’t sure how to otherwise explain.She’d never been close with other women and felt uncomfortable often with both Bastila and Juhani, unsure how to navigate the emotional waters of friendship.

Aoibhinn refilled her own glass.“Will a toast help?”

“To what?”

“Making your own choices.”She grinned, clinked her glass at Bastila’s and drank.To her surprise, the Jedi took a generous swig of her own.

“To choices,” Bastila echoed, finishing the glass.

Aoibhinn raised a brow and refilled both glasses.“Just don’t go too fast now.Try sipping.”They sat without speaking for a bit, watching the growing crowd at the cantina.It was the end of the work week and apparently dance night.Obnoxious pop tunes from some core world blared over speakers, the sort of music that Mission often played on the Hawk.“So….what choices are you planning to make?”

Bastila stared at her glass, sipped nervously.“I’m sure I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Oh, I’m sure you do.Flyboy.”

“Not that it is any business of yours, Aoibhinn, but not all of us are driven by the sort of….” she sniffed haughtily, “the base lusts that you seem to enjoy.”

Aoibhinn snorted.“Base lusts?Not sure that’s quite a fair characterization but… don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.”She thought for a bit.“You’re afraid.”

“That’s ridiculous.What would I be afraid of?”Bastila drained her glass again and reached for a refill.

“Yourself?The same thing that made you afraid of that drink?”Aoibhinn took the bottle.“Better let me handle that.But seriously, what do you want?”

“Selfish wants lead to ….”

“Yeah, yeah, dark side.But we aren’t talking about dominating the galaxy here, Bastila.We are talking about fucking a man…” 

Bastila’s eyes widened. “You need not be so crude.”

“Or loving him, if you do.”Bastila was quiet at that again.Aoibhinn knew she was being pushy, but it was driving her nuts the way the two of them were spending half their time looking at each other, as Mission might say, all thirsty like, and the other half cooped up together in the cockpit talking each other to pieces.It was clear they shared a mutual attraction but they were both so weirdly attached to some Republic brand of honor it seemed likely they’d never do anything about it.“The Republic isn’t going to burn if you let yourself feel whatever it is that you feel.Onasi is way too noble to let that happen anyway…the Republic burning part.”

Bastila twisted her glass, frowning again.“Do you love Canderous?” she asked quietly.

That had not been an expected turn in the conversation.“We aren’t here to talk about me.”

“Do you?”Bastila was staring at her now.“I hardly think you are in a position to offer advice if you aren’t honest about yourself,” she explained more confidently. “If you claim to know so much about men then surely you can answer the question.”

Aoibhinn sighed and tossed back another drink.“I’ve been with plenty of men, and… yes, Canderous is different.”

“You didn’t answer the question. Do you love him?”

Did she?Yeah, she did.But she wasn’t about to admit something to Bastila that she’d not told the man himself.“I…there are some things that are just understood between us.”That was all she was going to give.

“You’ve not told him,” Bastila replied smugly. 

“We are a people of actions and not words,” she glared back.

Bastila regarded her quietly for a moment, then held out her glass for a refill.“If I am to accept your counsel on this matter, then you should find your words for your own man.”

Aoibhinn poured. “You’re serious?”

“Deal?” Bastila held out the glass to toast, smiling slightly.

Well, nothing to do but take the challenge.“Shit.”Glasses clinked. 

An hour later they were starting on their second bottle.Aoibhinn had been careful to have more than her share of the first, she hardly wanted Bastila passing out in the corner, and was feeling pleasantly buzzed as a result.Bastila seemed determined to keep up, and was showing signs of her own intoxication, even starting to sway and hum to the music as she intently watched the dance floor.

“Didn’t know you were a dancer.”

Bastila started, “Oh?I’m not.But it is catchy.Maybe Mission is on to something with her music.” And maybe getting Bastila tipsy hadn’t been her best plan.Where the hell were the others anyway; they should all be here by now.“We should dance!” Bastila suggested brightly.

“The hells?” She crossed her arms defensively.“I don’t dance.”

“And I don’t drink.Yet here we are.”The smug smirk again.

“You’re getting sloppy, Bastila.”

“And you’re just afraid.” 

Damn it all.“If we are making deals….if I dance, what will you do?”

“Um, dance.” Bastila giggled.“Come on.” _Shit._ Bastila tossed back another drink, grabbed the bottle and was off. 

She took the whiskey…what choice was there?Guess she’d dance.

Several songs, and shots, later and Aoibhinn decided that perhaps dancing wasn’t so bad.And, since she was responsible for making sure Bastila didn’t do something she’d regret the next day, she had to play along, if only she could keep herself from the same.

Apparently they weren’t bad dancers.Aoibhinn wasn’t exactly sure how, but they found themselves near the center of the crowd, with more than a few admiring watchers.And then they were dancing on a table, the crowd cheering them on.Who knew Tatooine cantinas could throw such a party?Bastila somehow knew the words to half the songs, too.Maybe she’d been right about the dancing.

A gruff voice spoke up behind them,“Well, that is not at all what I was expecting.”Aoibhinn looked around to find a rather pleased looking Mandalorian biting back a laugh and a somewhat awe-struck Republic pilot. _Shit._

She elbowed Bastila.“We’ve been busted I’m afraid.”

“Oh!Hi Carth.Canderous.” Bastila giggled, wide-eyed.“Where’s everyone else?”

“Not here,” Onasi stammered.“Bastila, are you …drunk?”

“What would make you say that?”

“Um…you are dancing…on a table…with a bottle of whiskey?”

Bastila threw an arm around Aoibhinn, “Aoibhinn said I needed to live a little.So we are just living…a little.And dancing.”

Canderous was eyeing her hotly, his laugh threatening at his lips.Well, two ways this could go.And she was just drunk enough herself to send it the way sober Aoibhinn wouldn’t have.She knelt down to run a finger down his cheek and across his jaw, landing on his lips.“Why don’t you boys head over to the bar and work on catching up.You can watch the show.”She winked as he nipped at her finger.

“ _You’ll pay for this later,_ ” he growled at her ear. 

“ _Good_.” 

Onasi was still staring at Bastila with some mix of confusion and wonder as Canderous pushed him towards the bar.

“So now what?” Bastila whispered frantically.

“Um…the dancing was your idea.”

“But Carth is here.”

“Yeah.” She’d committed, so time to go all in.“Yeah.I think we have to keep dancing.Cheers.” She tipped back the bottle.Bastila giggled again.They danced.And it was fun, especially now that Canderous was watching her, like she was the only thing in the world.She sent out her ghost fingers to tease at his neck, bit lip at the way he flinched just enough that she noticed. _Gods._ She remembered her end of the deal, _Do you love him?_ Something for later.

Suddenly Bastila was jumping down from the table, dragging her along.“Where are you going?” 

“The ‘fresher.”

She shrugged at the men as they brushed past, noting Bastila’s avoidance of Carth’s still startled stare.

“What do I do now?” Bastila hissed once they were safely in the ‘fresher.“He thinks I’m drunk!”

“Pretty sure you are.Pretty sure I am actually.” She leaned into the wall.“That never happens.”

“So what do we do??”

“Well, if you stop drinking you’ll sober up.”

Bastila made a serious face.“I think the Force is telling us something.” _The hells?_ “Why did only Carth and Canderous come here?You have to wonder.I think it’s a sign,” she whispered loudly.

Aoibhinn laughed. “You are drunk, _vod._ I’m not sure about the Force caring, but…well, we do have a tactical advantage.We caught them off guard.And, I think they like what they see. Just….just go talk to him and see what happens.”

“Talk?But I want to…” Bastila clapped her own mouth closed, eyes wide.

“I take it the rest of that thought was un-Jedi like,” she laughed again.“Just roll with it, Bastila.You’ll be fine, I think.Trust yourself.” 

Bastila smoothed her shirt.“How do I look?”

This just kept getting weirder.“Bastila, we are in a backwater cantina, wearing the same clothes we’ve had on for a week.We could both use a shower.”Bastila’s face fell.“But I’m pretty sure that won’t matter,” she winked.“Let’s go.”

Bastila beelined it straight to the men who’d taken a corner table.Game on then.She followed. 

Normally, Aoibhinn and Canderous were not particularly public about their affections, limiting themselves to subtle touches and slightly suggestive words.But normally she wasn’t half-drunk and egging on an up-tight Jedi with a bad crush on an equally tight-assed pilot. So…in the name of the cause, she sat straddling his lap, one hand on his chest, the other teasing the back of his neck.She sent the ghost fingers dancing down his back and around the sides of his hips.

His breath hitched. “ _What no more dancing?_ ”He was wearing that grin that always sent her reeling.Somehow its effect seemed greater than normal, the whiskey she supposed.She turned enough to see Bastila sitting rather closer than she needed to be to Onasi, tracing a pattern on the table in front of him with a finger.Neither of them were talking, just staring at each other;Onasi drained a whiskey, wiped a hand across his face.Canderous followed her gaze.“ _Oh…this a set up then?_ ”

She tried to make an innocent face. _“Why would you suspect such a thing?This was entirely her idea.”_

 _“Sure.”_ They shared a glass between them. _“Although if you keep this up, I’m not sure I’m going to stick around to see how Republic and the princess make out.”_

 _“I’m afraid I did get her drunk so it would be poor form to run off.But…”_ she kissed at the side of his jaw and ear. _“I will make it worth the wait.”_

He growled into her neck, nipping at her flesh, pulling her hips in hard. _“Fine. Then I want more dancing.”_

She leaned back, raised a brow. _“Maybe you could give Onasi a nudge to hurry things along.”_ Then jumped up, grabbing Bastila back to the dance floor.They stayed off the table this time, probably best if Bastila kept her feet solidly on the ground.Canderous leaned back, hands behind his head, that damn grin on his face.She’d never get the man to actually dance with her so she’d content herself with doing her best to drive him mad from a distance.

“Oh, I know this one!” Bastila must have really been paying attention to Mission’s music.She was singing again.And then she’d be damned if Bastila didn’t grab Onasi by the arm and pull him out to the dance floor. She wasn’t bothering to hide her hot hungry look either, even grabbed him by the belt loops to pull him closer.“Dance with me, Carth.”And, well, he did.Bastila had thrown her arms over his shoulders, and he was letting his hands play at her waist; they were adorably awkward. 

She returned to Canderous’s side. _“I’m not dancing alone.”_

 _“And I’m not dancing,”_ he pulled her back onto his lap. _“How did you pull that off?”_

_“Not sure.”_ She was kissing him full on now, felt his hand at the small of her back, inching under her shirt; the other was twisting in her braid. _“Mmmm…we are still at the cantina though.”_ She felt his pulse quicken.

_“You’re a tease.”_

_“And you love it.”_ There it was again, the thing they kept dancing around.She knew what he wanted to say next, _and I love you,_ just as sure as she knew she wanted him to say it.She remembered the deal with Bastila.But if she’d waited this long she wasn’t about to blurt out a confession in the middle of this dingy cantina.Later.

“ _You’re staring.”_

 _“Am I?”_ So was he though.The rest of the room faded away as her fingers played at the edges of his face.His own hands had stilled, rested hot against her.The want of what she wanted to name left her nearly breathless.She’d forgotten the others.

_“You are drunk.”_

_“Only a little.”_ For some reason she found she could only manage a whisper. _“You’re not.”_

 _“Should I be?”_ She shook her head.Surely he could hear her thoughts; it felt like they were screaming. _“Wanna go?I think maybe they should get out of here.”_ He nodded towards Carth and Bastila who were not exactly dancing, but were standing very close, touching each other’s faces.

She gave him a final hard kiss before standing.As she grabbed another drink, she felt Canderous press against her from behind.She glanced over her shoulder to tease. _“Sure you don’t want to dance just a bit.”_

 _“Not here, no,”_ he rasped in her ear. _“Later.”_ His hand played down the side of her waist, rested against her hipbone.Flutters shot through her core.Lots happening later it seemed.

“Bastila, we’re leaving.”She tapped the other woman’s shoulder, was met with a pair of dazed smiles.

“Oh. Ok.”

The desert air was clear and crisp after the closeness of the cantina; the few lights of the settlement could do little to dim the thousands of stars in the night sky.The streets were empty at this hour, and they took their time walking through the quiet.She didn’t want to go back to the Hawk, too crowded despite their private space. _“Let’s sleep out under the stars.”_

 _“Sure.”_ They looked back, realizing the other couple had fallen behind, saw them leaning against one of the few lampposts along the street.They were kissing. _“The idiots are under the damn spotlight,”_ he laughed.

 _“I’m not sure they care.”_ She laced her fingers though his. _“Bout time anyway.”_

_“Think princess is ok?Not sure she’s much of a drinker.”_

_“I think she is now.She was pretty tipsy but it will wear off quick. She is a Jedi after all.”_

_“You never said how you pulled it off.Or maybe I should ask what led to dancing on a table… ‘cause I might want to see that again sometime.”_ That grin again.

 _“Bastila said it was the will of the Force,”_ she grinned back. _“But, really, we made a deal.”_

_“And what was your end then?”_

She thought for a moment.Still not time.“ _I promised to speak true.”_ She kissed him gently.He didn’t ask about what; she thought maybe he knew, said it in the way he kissed her back, in the way he held her close.Later under the stars they could find the words.


End file.
